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Day: 13 June 2023

Next-generation hybrid supercar McLaren Artura voted best in France

by: Cassandra Tanti
13/06/2023

The McLaren Artura, featured at this year’s Top Marques Monaco, has been voted best hybrid car by the Association Médias Auto et Moto française (French Auto and Motorcycle Media Association) and it is now available in the Principality.

McLaren introduced hybrid technology in two of its Ultimate class models – the P1 launched in 2013 and the Speedtail launched in 2018 – but the Artura is McLaren’s first production hybrid car with a V6 engine. 

It uses an all-new 3.0 litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine paired with an electric motor and eight-speed gearbox to produce a combined output of 500 kW (680 PS; 671 hp) at 7,500 rpm and 720 N⋅m (531 lb⋅ft) of torque at 2,250 rpm.

It was deemed the favourite and declared ‘Best PHEV’ by a jury made up of 20 journalists from the Association Médias Auto et Moto, who tested 25 hybrid and electric models on 7th and 8th June around Ruel-Malmaison, in France.

“McLaren is very proud to receive this its first prize which recognises the extraordinary capabilities of McLaren’s first production hybrid model and which crowns the 60th anniversary of the creation of McLaren,” said Steve Robson, McLaren Automotive Market Direct in Western Europe. “This award recognises the ground-breaking nature of this next-generation supercar, and we’re sure our customers will be as proud as we are.”

The McLaren Artura is in Monaco

The McLaren Artura was exhibited at this year’s Top Marques Monaco, the world’s most prestigious supercar event, which took place at the Grimaldi Forum from 7th to 11th June. 

Meanwhile, the first clients cars have arrived at McLaren Monaco.  

“We have had the car for a few months now and you can just tell that the car is very special,” Alexandre Ramon, Sales Ambassador McLaren Monaco, tells Monaco Life. “It’s a small car and the performance is just mind blowing, and so getting this award has definitely paid off for the manufacturers.” 

The McLaren Artura is available for a base price of €232,500.

See more of the McLaren Artura in our Instagram video below…

Culinary Week at the Casino de Monte-Carlo 

by: Elsa Carpenter
13/06/2023

The Casino de Monte-Carlo’s two restaurants are laying on special new menus for Société des Bains de Mer’s Culinary Week. Here’s what to expect. 

Every day until Monday 19th June, Culinary Week is being celebrated in a number of SBM’s top establishments, from Le Limùn in the Hotel Hermitage, with its honey-infused menu, to Le Train Bleu and the Salon Rose within the confines of the Casino.  

Le Train Bleu is departing on a journey through the best cucina Italy has to offer, and front and centre of Chef Richard Rubbini’s Italia-inspired menu is the trumpet courgette, a “true treasure of Mediterranean cuisine”.  

This restaurant offers the unique experience of dining in a faithfully reproduced train carriage, with everything from traditional wood finishing to a Belle Époque décor.  

The interior of Le Train Bleu is decked out just like a train carriage from years gone by. Photo credit: Jahan De Lestang Guillaume

All week, guests at this fascinating place will enjoy the heirloom tromboncino alongside other greats from the Mediterranean region, such as wild-caught fish and langoustines with classic produce like cepes, artichokes and aubergines.  

Over at the Salon Rose, Rubbini has switched up the menu to showcase his flair for fusion. Think miso salmon and tuna tartare with fresh figs for a delectable marriage of Asian and Mediterranean cuisine.  

The Salon Rose is open every day for lunch and dinner, with a pause in service between 6pm and 7pm. It remains open until midnight. Meanwhile, Le Train Bleu is open Thursday through to Sunday from 7pm until 2am. 

Both are found inside the Casino and guests are therefore subject to an ID check and the same smart attire requirements before entry is permitted. If you spend more than €40 at either eatery, the cost of entrance to the Casino is reimbursed. 

For more information about SBM’s Culinary Week, please click here. 

 

Main photo credit: Anthony Lanneretonne

Champagne pop-up at Hôtel Hermitage returns

by: Stephanie Horsman
13/06/2023

The iconic champagne house Veuve Clicquot has opened its seasonal pop-up in front of the five-star Hôtel Hermitage, and this year’s set-up is bigger and better than ever.  

The celebrated champagne producer Veuve Clicquot has opened its exclusive pop-up bar in Monaco’s Square Beaumarchais. 

The charmingly-named Veuve Clicquot Lounge Solaire is being hosted by the Hôtel Hermitage all summer until 1st October under the banner ‘250 years of Sunshine’, in reference to the iconic yellow label that has been its trademark since 1877. 

Photo by Monaco Life

Visitors will be treated to a special menu featuring its celebrated bubbly, but also a range of drinks as well as a selection of savoury snacks such as salads, Poke bowls, wraps and the locally-adored pan bagnat.

There is something for the sweet-toothed too, including cookies, ice cream, cakes and fruit salads. The treats can be enjoyed with a “sit and sip” under the shade of an umbrella or to take away. 

Photo by Monaco Life

The pop-up is open daily from 12pm to 8pm. On Sunday, live DJ Mr. Jaz will be providing a musical backdrop from 5pm to 8pm. 

 

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Feature photo by Monaco Life

How much property will $US1 million buy you around the world?

by: Elsa Carpenter
13/06/2023
property 1 million

One million US dollars or around €925,000 might sound like a nice budget when shopping for a new home, but how much property can you really get for that in the world’s most expensive cities? 

As it turns out, it’s not very much. A Knight Frank report into prime property and the costs per square metre in the world’s top-end residential markets has revealed that in some of the most expensive cities, a $US1 million budget will barely stretch to a studio apartment.  

Monaco remains the world’s most expensive real estate market 

Monaco retained its title as the most expensive residential market in 2022 with an average price per square metre that reached around €51 million. Prices across the Principality vary significantly, with the Jardin Exotique neighbourhood offering the best value for money at just under €35,000 per square metre, but prices soared in the seafront Larvotto quartier to over €62,000.  

According to Knight Frank, prices in this seafront section of the Principality are expected to continue to grow in the coming years, particularly with the completion of the Mareterra project. Here, the price per square metre is anticipated to achieve a staggering €100,000, which would easily make it the most expensive residential development in the world.  

So how much will $US1 million get you in Monaco today? Just 17 square metres.  

Elsewhere in the world, the same budget will get you 21 square metres in Hong Kong, 33 in New York, and 34 in Singapore and London. Geneva and Paris come a little further down the list with a more generous 37 and 43 square metres respectively, but even that equates to a one or two-bedroom – at a push – property.

At the more favourable end of the prime property scale, a prospective buyer could get 150 square metres in Dubai, the location with the fastest rising prices and a 44% increase in prime property costs between 2021 and 2022. Cape Town at 218 square metres and Sao Paulo with 231 also offer a larger investment in terms of volume.  

  

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Photo by Monaco Life

Photos: Prince Albert welcomes Villeneuve-Loubet into the Grimaldi fold  

by: Stephanie Horsman
13/06/2023
prince albert villeneuve-loubet

Did you know that the ties between Monaco, its Grimaldi family and the town of Villeneuve-Loubet go back almost 700 years? 

Prince Albert II of Monaco spent Monday 12th June in the Alpes-Maritimes town of Villeneuve-Loubet, where he welcomed it into the fold of the Grimaldi Historic Sites network.  

A long history 

The ties between the Principality, its Grimaldi dynasty and Villeneuve-Loubet go back well into the Middle Ages to 1304, when Rainier I was awarded the castle there as a reward for helping save the royal fleet of Philippe Le Bel from a Flemish invasion. His son Charles and grandson Rainer II then inherited the fortress and kept it under Grimaldi influence for nearly a century. 

The connections don’t stop there. A branch of the Grimaldi family, cousins from Antibes, also found the castle and vast tracts of land in the town in their hands in 1437, when Catherine Grimaldi, daughter of Georges Grimaldi, co-lord of Antibes and Cagnes-sur-Mer, acquired it along with her husband, Pierre Lascaris.  

In more recent times, Albert I used lands in and around the town for shooting parties at the start of the 20th century.  

The newest member of the Grimaldi Historic Sites 

As part of his visit, the Prince met with Lionnel Luca, the mayor of Villeneuve-Loubet, to unveil a sign at the town’s entrance denoting its membership to the ever-growing Grimaldi Historic Sites network. The procession then led to the townhall, where speeches were given and another plaque was revealed to commemorate Prince Albert’s visit.  

As the sovereign and his retinue exited the building, the mayor is said to have announced exuberantly to those gathered, “We’re not getting married… But we have a union to celebrate!” 

From there, Prince Albert visited the Château de Vaugrenier, which dates from the 16th century, before heading back to the Principality.  

The Grimaldi Historic Sites are a network of towns and villages that are historically linked to Monaco and the Grimaldi family. The community recently celebrated its connections with a large-scale event that took place on the Rock on 10th and 11th June.

Click on the images below to see more:

 

 

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Photo credits: Axel Bastello / Palais Princier de Monaco

24 Hours of Le Mans: Ferrari make winning return to iconic race

by: Luke Entwistle
13/06/2023
Ferrari on the podium of Le Mans 24hr 2023

Ferrari made their long-awaited return to 24 Hours of Le Mans over the weekend and celebrated the centenary of the iconic race with a victory.

Ferrari were competing in the race for the first time in 50 years, and at a particularly special edition of 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 100th event was one of the most dramatic in memory, with crashes throughout the field, as well as frequent and heavy showers that mixed up the racing over the course of the weekend.

Photo source: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office

Toyota were the overwhelming favourites, having won the last five 24 Hours of Le Mans races, and having taken out every race in the World Endurance Championship this season.

However, the Ferrari team, driven by James Calado, Pier Guidi and Antonio Giovanazzi, showed great pace in the comeback race and kept their noses clean despite the drama elsewhere.

Charles Leclerc in attendance

However, Toyota were still in the running going into the final stages and would have had a chance for the win had Ryo Hirakawa not spun when within seconds of the leading Ferrari. The Japanese manufacturer had to settle for the unfamiliar second step whilst Cadillac rounded off the podium in third.

It was therefore Ferrari, cheered on by Formula One driver Charles Leclerc, who took the chequered flag to earn their first 24 Hours of Le Mans victory since 1973 and their 10th top-level victory.

“It’s a great achievement after so long. This will go down in history,” said Ferrari’s British driver Calado.

The Italian team are second in the Manufacturers’ standings, 19 points behind leaders Toyota.

 

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Photo source: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office